


Shadows in the Sun

by Korbean



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Minor Violence, Octo Expansion DLC, Post-Octo Expansion DLC, Slow Burn, some creative liberties taken
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 11:38:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18249071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Korbean/pseuds/Korbean
Summary: After barely escaping the Underground with their lives, Darris and 2C struggle to find a new life. 2C finds himself wrapped up in the antics of a Turf War tournament, while Darris is recruited to be Agent 3 under Cap'n Cuttlefish. Memories of the horrors they went through haunting them. 2C wants to find the answers, Darris just wants to forget.





	Shadows in the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo this is the first thing I have really posted anything that wasn't a joke, so any and all criticism (constructive please lol) is welcome. I actually had this idea when the expansion was first announced but was so lazy I didn't make it until now haha..... Thanks to anyone who reads this :) I hope you get at least a small amount of enjoyment out of it.

   I never realized how much fear controlled me. Only when you find your body moving, running and stumbling despite the pain do you realize how strong fear can be. How it can cast a shadow over your pain. How it can shove any other thought out of your head. Darkness echoes through the slim hallway, only the dim light cast onto the tiled floor reminds me that I haven’t died yet. Out of breath, my hands flicker across smooth gravel walls, frantically looking for an escape. A stolen map tightly clutched between my shaky fingers. The arms hanging onto my shoulders made me grunt as I struggled to reach the ceiling.

   Distant footsteps cause my head to throb and my heart-rate to spike. And yet smooth tiled wall is all I feel, my fingers running up and down in a desperate search. I turn my hands upwards where cold metal stings my sensitive hands. My heart beats faster at the distant sounds in the tunnel. My excitement gets ahead of me as the grate refuses to budge, a flimsy lock in the way. My teeth grit as I slam my Splattershot against it with full force. A loud crash and the lock bursts apart, my hands tingling from the force. Pieces of my weapon dart across the floor, I can feel my face grow pale.

   The bright moon is all that’s imprinted in my eyes as I force the rusty grate up. The soft flutter of wind greets me as I drag my companion along with me, his weight almost dragging me back down into the subway. I fumble with the grate, shoving it back into its slot.

   The streetlights tower above a wide-open street, pouring vivid amber light onto a perfectly manicured hedge lining the road. Eyes darting across the scene I’m perplexed by the lack of a single soul. My thoughts are filled with confusion but I’m quickly pulled into reality by rumbling beneath the street. I’m momentarily bewitched, short and raspy breaths scratching my throat. Forcing a sense of urgency into my mind, I haul my companion into a nearby alley. Despite the pain wracking through my legs I manage to find an abandoned shopping cart. Cradling him into the cart gently I push it forward, struggling with each step.

   From the view of a side alley I can see distant flashes and pirouettes of color; Along with the low pulsating hum of music, it must be a Splatfest. That explains the empty streets. No one stays home during a Splatfest.

   I’m still for a moment, entranced by the night sky being decorated by streams of light. Deep colors dashing in front of a deep grey sky, nothing like the void filled darkness beneath the city. My cheek feels wet as I stare up at the flickering stars. Clouds lazily drifting in and out of my view, obscured by the city skyline. I struggle to hold in my emotions, I won’t ever lose sight of this again.

   The weight in my chest lightens a little as I pick up 2C and haul him onto my back, his breathing tickling my neck slightly. Fighting off a blush, I trudge into a nearby alley, I need to get home without being seen. People might think we are escaped convicts. The strange outfits we had been forced to wear looked very similar.

Even though we aren’t in the subway anymore I can’t help but glance over my shoulder every few seconds. The fear of being followed quite prevalent in my mind.

The glow of roadside streetlamps fades away as I navigate the sides of alleys and buildings. Through underpasses and backstreets, I took it too far avoiding populated areas, I don’t know where I am.

 I used to know the backstreets too well, but a life away from them has weakened my memory. The constant twists and turns have me reeling until I see a park sign.

    ‘Grizzco Park’ I know this park. It’s close to where I live. My hands creep into my jacket pocket, relieved with the familiar feel of metal keys. I can’t help but frown, I better have not been gone long enough to have gotten evicted. No matter how hard I try, I can’t recall how much time has passed. While we had been down there, we hadn’t needed to sleep or eat. Time flowed differently down there, like sludge dripping down a faucet, or a stone in a river. Eroding slowly while the world sped on past. Even my memories felt fuzzy now that I had escaped. The fresh surface air already coaxing me, trying to make me forget.

   Setting my thoughts aside I follow the sideroads into an alley that lead into the main entrance of the park. I duck between some chains that hang between the entrance. The trees growing taller and taller as I delve deeper into the park.

    An open starry sky flanked by trees is far more endearing than the tiled roof of a decrepit subway. What I saw, what I know, it’s too much to think of right now. Once he wakes up, then maybe I can think about it. Yeah, together we can figure it out. After all, that’s how we made it out, together. Without him, I would have died.

    I try to sneak a glance at his face, but I can only see the back of his head, having moved onto my back from my neck. The short, raspy breaths and the trembling of his chest remind me that I need to hurry home. Super jumping home would make matters simple, but he would need to be awake for that. The convenience of traveling alone is now suddenly much more apparent. Lonely walks had always been a favorite way for me to calm down. Although eventually I would tire of that and invite all my friends to my apartment. Despite many complaints, the company always beat being alone.

   Despite having not seen a single soul in the park, I hear a stone clatter to the ground, along with the slightest sound of footsteps. Straining my ears, I only hear it for a second. It’s gone now. Nothing but the wind. Despite the silence, my heart rate spikes. I can’t think. Breathing is suddenly difficult.

  After a few moments spent frozen in place I count to ten and focus on my breathing to calm down. They couldn’t have followed us, especially not all the way to the surface, there’s no way they can be here. I doubt it. They wouldn’t dare leave the subway. That thought is resolute in my head.

2C on my back shifts and mumbles, he must be waking up.

   “Hey, are … are you awake?” I whisper to him, if he wakes up, we can just both super jump to my house, making my life a lot easier. He shifts and moves his head into my neck but says nothing else. He must still be out cold. Although now I can feel his breathing down my neck, my cheeks turn red but I can’t deny that his warm breath is a welcome change to the chilly cold air. The lack of warm clothing doesn’t help. Our odd suits are paper thin.

   A twig snaps behind me, sending goosebumps up my back. Just an animal. This park has no shortage of wildlife. I repeat that in my head repeatedly until I feel calm enough to think rationally again. To think that I’m the only living thing in this park would be absurd. Animals roam all over the park. A quick glance over my shoulder confirms my assumption. A small pair of rodent’s scurry into a nearby drain, sending a small splash of rainwater onto the dirt path. Relieved, I calm down enough to continue on.

   The care that went into maintaining the parks ecosystem had always been impressive to me. A past summer I had volunteered to help out, and had been surprised by the amount of meticulous work that went into it. I had expected an easy distraction. What I got instead was a summer of actual work. Although I would always be grateful for it, the park had always been more special to me after that summer. I learned to actually care.

   With the flow of the wind, I decide to keep my pace swift. I still had a knot in my stomach along with a sinking feeling in my gut. Paired with the imminent fear of being attacked it led me to urge myself on. Even though 2C was with me, it would be up to me to protect him. In the subway it had been the other way around. He had been the strong one. I had been weak.

   I grimace, reminded only of how often I had been forced to rely on him. The grueling tests would have broken me otherwise. Time and time again, we had gotten through thanks to him. He was so strong. Not to mention cunning, he had always been able to see the tricks that I missed. He had always been so inspiring. To see him as weak as he was in the moment was disconcerting. He had always seemed so invincible before. Our last fight was a grim reminder that he was just as lost as I was.

   My blood runs cold. I can hear footsteps. My eyes go wide as my grip grows tighter on my friends clothing. I can hear it clear as day, footstep. Heavy footsteps, no doubt that it’s a sanitized Octoling. Heavy combat boots are always a staple of their armor. I’m frozen, but I need to move. I can feel a sharp breeze whip past me, rustling the leaves around me. They drift gently down as I dare to look behind me. My breath is caught in my throat as I stare at an empty path. All that’s behind me is a bent streetlamp, the metal torn slightly at the edges. The light flickering above, showing dust that’s been thrown up into the air. Undoubtedly by a local animal. The path is untouched besides a few drops of what I can only assume is water. Its tinted green beneath the moonlight. I finally breathe out.

   My sigh floating between the trees, newly illuminated by distant fireworks. The sky showing an extravagant display of flashes of scarlet and neon green. The climax of the Splatfest.

I turn my head just in time to see it. Shining goggles, lit up red and green from the sky. A single glowing red eye piercing into mine. Pale, green tinted skin with an overly wide smile is all I have time to process. Before I even have time to turn pale, my stomach is being forced inwards by the blunt end of an OctoShot. The impact causing my eyes to bulge and my chest to go numb. All I register is my back slamming against a tree, bits of bark fly off like dust. Some piercing into my back while others dangle limply off the tree. Ink trickles down my forehead, while my friends body hits the dirt path with a loud thud. He skids a few feet before coming to a dead stop. I can hear him groan after coming to a stop. At least he’s reacting in some way. I weakly hold my head up to see familiar jet-black armor, despite being armor its skin tight, and is accented by the creature’s pale green skin.

   One followed me, possibly more. They never give away how many are hidden. It strides toward me, its gait unflinchingly steady, as though it were a robot. The sway of its body perfectly in sync, not a single variation. It regards me coldly, scanning me and assessing what condition I’m in. I struggle to stand, but I can still feel shockwaves tingling through my muscles from the blow. I’m only a few inches off the ground before I slump back against the tree, too weak to truly stand. Too weak to fight. Just like I always am.

   The nozzle of its gun is pressed against my head as I struggle to stay conscious. Cold metal pressed to my soft skin. If I get splatted here, then I’ll respawn underground. After that, It’s over. A sick grin spreads across its face, a smug grin. I can’t help but think it looks satisfied. I ignore the scuffle of footsteps as I let my eyelids drift down, I’m too weak to resist.

   “Darris….” My body feels heavy, and I can hear a voice. “Darris! Get up”. Its interrupted by the sounds of a tree being slammed into. I manage to muster up the strength to open my eyes. To my horror the creature is holding 2C against a tree, in a desperate attempt to strangle him. Its ink tank is broken and oozing a sickly sea green onto the surrounding grass. Pieces of its now shattered goggles are spread out among the ink.

   2C manages to shove off his attacker, and slams his leg into the creature’s stomach. He then follows up by swinging his other leg directly into its jaw. The impact twisting its head into an unnatural position. It stumbles back, managing to keep its balance despite taking such heavy hits. Without flinching, it grabs its head and snaps it back into its proper position. 2C falters for a moment, looking at with disdain.

   Despite my best efforts my body refuses to move, held in place by fear. Tears well up in my eyes. I need to move, I can’t let it end here. Rage spurs my movements as 2C is struck directly in the face by the blunt end of the monster’s weapon. He holds his face in pain as he trips backwards, landing on his back.

   It stares for a moment too long at his slumped over form, long enough for me to tackle it into a tree. The thud of the shock reverberates into my shoulder, and the impact cracks some of its armor. It briefly lets out a shrill screech before its glossy eyes shut, its expression frozen in shock. Gripping my shoulder, I hold in a gasp as it lifts up its lower torso, head hanging limply against its shoulder. Its eyes remain shut, yet it claws its way towards the weapon lying a couple feet away.

    Kicking the weapon, it falls into a nearby lake. It floats for a second and then disperses into a green ink. The creature is still for a moment, before deftly leaping into the water. The lake barely reacts to its form, only tiny waves emanating from where it landed. Its form thrashes and tosses, struggling to get to land. The shoreline is surrounded by low cliffs, which the creature drags its claws against, unable to find a grip. It gurgles out a last screech as it struggles to maintain its form, before falling apart into a cloud of ink.

   The night is silent. Nothing dares move for a few brief moments. It must have been alone, there was no sign that any more were going to leap from the brush. I also found it unlikely it would have given up so easily unless it were a solo mission. The distant sound of cheering knocks me out of the stupor. The Splatfest must almost be over, I need to get home.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed :) Im gonna shoot to update within the next two weeks...im putting this here that way I have more of an obligation to get off my lazy butt and actually do it.


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